Ryan Pyle/Corbis Treating a patient at a hospital in Urumqi, Xinjiang Province, in China.

Like aging societies around the world, China will be facing numerous challenges in the years ahead. Rising life expectancy coupled with the one-child policy will make it especially difficult for China to address the concerns of a growing elderly population.

With more reforms, China can better manage the increasing costs of health care while improving access to basic coverage for all.

To date, the Chinese government has taken serious steps to reform its health care system. A central part of this is to increase essential health care for all Chinese. The definition of "essential" services is paramount, since it would be unsustainable to provide coverage for all health problems given China's current economic resources.

The government is also trying to contain health care cost inflation by implementing a basic drug policy, providing an economic evaluation on the pricing of medical technologies and changing the payment system for doctors so that it is more cost-effective.

No one can perfectly predict the future, but with more reforms, China can better manage the increasing costs of health care while improving access to basic and higher quality coverage for all.